Crosby Wetland Management District is one of 11 Wetland Management Districts in North Dakota. The Crosby Wetland Management District includes Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge, over 90 Waterfowl Production Areas, and numerous wetland and grassland conservation easements.

Visit Us

Wooden sign for Crosby Wetland Management District Headquarters.
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Visit us Monday-Friday, 7am to 4:30pm. We have a small office with a small learning display, and we enjoy visiting with people that stop by.

Our Waterfowl Production Areas offer opportunities for:

  • Hunting
  • Fishing
  • Wildlife watching
  • Photography

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      A pair of American wigeon ducks in flight.
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      The prairies of northwest North Dakota are home to an abundance of wildlife. The Crosby Wetland Management District lies within the Prairie Pothole Region, otherwise known as the “Duck Factory of North America". A vast expanse of grassland dotted with numerous small wetlands creates a highly productive area for waterfowl production. Despite the widespread land conversion, approximately 50 percent of North America’s breeding waterfowl population is still produced within the Prairie Pothole Region. Areas throughout the Wetland Management District are also deemed critical habitat for the threatened piping plover. The Wetland Management District was established primarily to protect this waterfowl breeding and nesting habitat.

      What We Do

      Three cows behind a fence marked with a Waterfowl Production Area sign.
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      The Crosby Wetland Management District manages land in Divide, Burke and Williams counties, North Dakota for the benefit of migratory and resident wildlife.

      Management includes:

      • monitoring and actively managing land
      • maintaining cooperative agreements with private landowners
      • administration of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland and grassland easements
      • coordination with partners and stakeholders.
      Services
      A beautiful green grassland with white flowers in bloom under a partly cloudy sky
      Grassland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow, glacially formed wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance
      Dozens of waterfowl flying over a grassy wetland
      Wetland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for globally...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance
      Land Management and Conservation Assistance
      Larged-winged birds called sandhill cranes arrive in fields to feed at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
      Cooperative Agriculture

      Cooperative agriculture — partnering with farmers and ranchers to meet wildlife management objectives — is a long-standing practice on national wildlife refuges (50 CFR 29.2). Cooperative agreements between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and farmers or ranchers may permit grazing by cattle...

      Service
      Agriculture
      Species Management
      Farmer/Rancher
      Landowner - Commercial
      Landowner - Individual

      Projects and Research

      A flat prairie under a bright blue sky with yellow wildflowers and tall plant stalks in foreground.
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      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts several ongoing surveys to monitor wildlife and vegetation in the district and ensure the district is meeting its conservation goals. Visit our Projects and Research page to learn more.